Grammys 2013: The Lumineers' road to the big show

NEW YORK CITY - The Lumineers are at that enviable career point where nearly every show is selling out. And so it made sense that the Denver indie folk act was playing two very sold-out nights at Terminal 5, a popular midtown Manhattan club, last weekend.

The show mostly echoed the group's recent live work, from its New Year's Eve shows at Denver's Ogden Theatre to its two-song stint on “Saturday Night Live” last month. But something was different about seeing the Lumineers — whose eponymous full-length release is quickly approaching platinum status with 901,339 copies sold — in New York, a city the band once called home.

By now you've heard the song that made this three-piece famous, “Ho Hey,” with its infectious energy and jaunty melody. And last weekend in New York the band told its fans: “We're not going anywhere.”

“I think they're going to win that Grammy,” I heard somebody share over the crowd's murmur. And it was hard not to agree with her.

The Lumineers are nominated for two Grammy Awards on Sunday, and while it's impossible to say now they'll win or they won't, there are strong indicators pointing toward them going home with a trophy on Sunday.

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The road to a Grammy can go any number of directions, but the Lumineers have shown they're going their own way.

Here is one band's timeline to a Grammy:

October 2009: New Jersey natives Wes Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites move to Denver after striking out in Brooklyn. After being mostly ignored on the East Coast, the two lifelong friends came to Colorado, where they found a bandmate (multi-instrumentalist Neyla Pekarek) and a supportive community of musicians. “Ho Hey” eventually helped the band get the attention of an entire team of people, including management and a label, which led to …

April 3, 2012: “The Lumineers” was released by little-known imprint Dualtone Music Group, but the buzz had already started. More industry folks had heard “Ho Hey,” and it was enough to garner the band a few complimentary mentions in multiple major outlets after its South by Southwest showcases. Airplay was also picking up, which led to …

May 7, 2012: As late-night host Conan O'Brien introduced the Lumineers on his show, he shouted out to an oddly familiar landmark on Colorado's East Colfax Avenue: “On Friday and Saturday nights, they'll be appearing at the Bluebird Theater in Denver, Colorado. Please welcome, the Lumineers!” This was happening. The Lumineers were on Bing commercials and radio and late-night television and, perhaps most telling, your mom's Spotify playlists. Which brought them to …

June 2012: When the band hit No. 1 at Triple A radio stations, some programmers wondered if the song might have extra legs at ever-fickle Top 40 radio. Of course it helped that …

July 25, 2012: The band's performance on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” spread their sound to an entirely new audience, an older Top 40 audience, leading to more touring and …

Oct. 24, 2012: The group's appearance on the “Late Show with David Letterman” showed a louder, more plugged-in side of “Ho Hey.” It was a smart change-up, giving longtime fans something slightly different to dig. After that, it wasn't so surprising when …

Dec. 5, 2012: The band was nominated for two Grammy Awards, including best new artist and best Americana album. “Is this a joke?” Fraites asked Rolling Stone magazine a few days later.

Jan. 19: The Lumineers played “Ho Hey” and “Stubborn Love” on “Saturday Night Live,” a significant honor that only a few bands attain. “SNL” showcases bands that have a quirky mix of mainstream success and critical adoration, and even though some bloggers and critics were tiring of the nu-folk movement (Mumford & Sons, the Avett Brothers, the Civil Wars, Phillip Phillips), others had given into those bands' charms. And so few were surprised when …

Jan. 24: The Grammys announced a slate of performers, including the Lumineers, Jack White, Dierks Bentley, Elton John and others. Many have noted that a band playing the actual Grammys ceremony is more likely to win an award, and while it doesn't always stand true, it seems right more often than not. It helps that …

Jan. 31: “Ho Hey” went triple-platinum, selling its 3 millionth download. The band's record also attained its highest ever position on the Billboard charts — and the view is pretty good from the No. 2 spot. Just starting to pick up steam is “Stubborn Love,” the second single that wowed the New York City crowds last weekend, selling 21,000 downloads in one week and working its way toward gold status with 344,000-plus in sales.

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